U.S. Census, HUD Release American Housing Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau and HUD recently released the 2011 American Housing Survey, a biennial comprehensive national housing survey that provides data on housing inventories, demographics, home improvements, mortgages, and more.

The 2011 survey indicates that almost 20 percent of new home owners chose their neighborhood based on convenience to the workplace.

The poll of the nation’s 115 million occupied homes also reveals the median size of single-family detached and mobile residences to be 1,800 square feet — versus 2,200 square feet for newly built homes — and the median year of construction for owner-occupied units to be 1976.

Sixty-four percent of homes have three or more bedrooms and 52 percent have two or more bathrooms. In terms of accessibility, 64 percent have floors with no steps between rooms, 48 percent have entry-level bathrooms, and 36 percent have entry-level bedrooms.

The survey also found that 20 percent of recent movers located their current homes through a real estate agent, 17 percent through Realtor.com, and 16 percent by word-of-mouth. Additionally, households spend about 24 percent of their household income on housing.